ATTRACTIONS
Pine Lodge Resort
Where to Stay in
Nelson Mandela Bay Accommodation in and around Port Elizabeth can be found on the NMBT website (www.nmbt.co.za/accommodation). On the following pages are a few establishments that are listed on Tourism Tattler’s Trade Directory, which has been categorised by location and experience.
BEACH
BUSH
CITY
Driving south along Port Elizabeth’s Marine Drive towards the Cape Recife Nature Reserve, an imposing sign beckons travellers to pop-in for a visit at Pine Lodge Resort & Conference Centre. So I did, and after a guided tour of the expansive facilities, I got to interview the resort’s General Manager, Dale Tucker (DT). The resort layout, facilities and range of activities are impressive - when and how did this all start? DT: Pine Lodge actually started out as a caravan park in 1990 with a few caravan sites and an ablution block. Back then we pitched on the old Sea Acres Caravan Park site, but the Nelson Mandela Bay Municipality clearly had other plans as this is where The Boardwalk Hotel & Casino is now located, so we were offered this site next to the Cape Recife Reserve entrance gate, which turned out to be fortuitous as it’s the perfect location for a seaside resort.
I don’t see any pine trees around, so how did the name Pine Lodge come about? DT: The owner, Dennis Tucker established Pine Lodge Resort in George with a few partners around 30 years ago, so when they expanded to Port Elizabeth the name was a logical extension as the same resort style concept of caravanning / camping with self-catering accommodation and on-site activities was planned from the outset. Dennis subsequently sold his interest in the George operation and now owns the PE operation outright. It’s certainly much more than a caravan park now - how many sites / rooms do you now have? DT: We have 25 caravan and camping sites, all 4-star rated with electrical points, ablutions and scullery areas as well as a fully-equipped laundry, a childrens’ play area, a games room, and a well stocked tuck shop. We also have 13 Site Cabins and 2 Cara-Cabins - a concept that is unique to Pine Lodge as these are built
The Hub Boutique Hotel
08 Tourism Tattler Trade Journal APRIL 2016